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Police

Controversial snooping technology 'used by at least

seven police forces'
Documents reveal usage of IMSI catchers, which harvest information from phones, is far
higher in UK than previously known

The technology presents itself as the strongest mobile signal in the area, prompting all nearby
phones to connect to it. Photograph: Manu Fernandez/AP

David P egg and Rob Evans

Monday 10 October 2016 09.55 EDT

Controversial surveillance technology that indiscriminately harvests information

from mobile phones is being used by at least seven police forces across the
country, a far larger number than previously known, according to police
documents.
The hardware, known as an IMSI catcher, tricks mobile phone handsets across an
area of several miles into connecting to them by impersonating cellphone towers,
and can be used to pinpoint phone owners locations or intercept phone calls and
text messages.
The Metropolitan police were previously known to have purchased IMSI
(international mobile subscriber identity) technology. However, documents
obtained by the Bristol Cable, a citizens media cooperative, indicate that at least
six other police forces have bought the same hardware, also referred to as CCDC
(covert communications data capture).
Police refuse to acknowledge their acquisition of this technology or discuss how
they use it, claiming that any disclosures could assist criminals and terrorists. As
well as the Met, other forces understood to be using it include West Mercia,
Warwickshire, West Midlands, Staffordshire, Avon and Somerset, and South
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Yorkshire.
Matthew Rice, an advocacy officer at the campaign group Privacy International,
said: IMSI catchers, by their very nature, operate indiscriminately, gathering
information from all individuals in the particular operating area. This collateral
intrusion into the private lives of many innocent individuals is deeply concerning
in any context let alone one that is, almost deliberately, opaque.
Civil liberties campaigners have criticised the lack of accountability surrounding
IMSI catcher use by police. Rice said the continued secrecy shuts down debate in
the worst way. Policing by consent requires that these evolving techniques be
discussed openly and robustly in society, otherwise there is no way of giving true
and informed consent.
The technology works by exploiting the fact that mobile phones constantly seek
the strongest possible signal in order to make and receive calls and data. IMSI
catchers present themselves as the strongest signal in the area, prompting all
nearby mobile phones to connect to them.
The technology then routes the signal to a normal mobile mast, allowing the
phones to continue to function, albeit with all the data potentially being
scrutinised by whoever is controlling the IMSI catcher.
The use of the controversial hardware emerged after the Bristol Cable noticed
that South Yorkshire polices budget had allocated 144,000 for IMSI covert
communications in 2014 and CCDC in the same document.
When asked, a press officer for the force said they were the same item, but
refused to disclose any further information for operational reasons.
A Metropolitan police transparency document listing all contracts with suppliers
agreed between October and December 2015 shows 1,037,223 allocated for
CCDC to telecommunications firm Cellxion. A similar document for Avon and
Somerset police shows a 169,575 payment to the same company for CCDC
equipment.
Marketing documents published by Privacy International show Cellxion has
previously touted an IMSI catcher as a comprehensive set of tools to combat the
growing use of mobile phone communications technology in crime and
terrorism.
Meanwhile, the minutes of a meeting between the police and crime
commissioners of West Mercia and Warwickshire police reveal their approval of a
plan to purchase a replacement for their current CCDC deployment, in part on the
grounds that neighbouring forces were also using the technology.
Within the West Midlands region both West Midlands and Staffordshire police
have recently purchased and operated 4G-compatible CCDC equipment, the
minutes state.
The purchase [of replacement CCDC units for West Mercia and Warwickshire
forces] would allow the use of the equipment in support of regional operation,
but more frequently in support of local high-risk investigations, reducing the
impact of demand across the region for the same equipment being used in West
Midlands and Staffordshire.
The West Mercia police and crime commissioner, John Campion, said: I have
seen real-life examples of the difference this technology can make in protecting
extremely vulnerable people in our society. It is absolutely appropriate that the
police can make use of this technology in order to keep people safe.
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It is very important to me that civil liberties are upheld and respected. I am

reassured on behalf of our local communities that the safeguards and processes in
place will ensure this technology will be used appropriately and proportionately.
Matthew Ellis, the police and crime commissioner for Staffordshire, said: It is
right that police have the tools to tackle the complex nature of crime in the 21st
century. Some tactics police use to keep people safe and bring criminals to justice
can be intrusive and it is crucial that there are robust safeguards, framed by
legislation, around this work, and there are.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan police said they cannot comment on any
specific surveillance methods or technology deployed to ensure the safety and
security of Londoners. We will only use any surveillance methods or technology
within the parameters of the legislation and associated governance and oversight
regimes.
The Warwickshire police and West Mercia police temporary assistant chief
constable, Stephen Cullen, said: Our main priority is to protect the public from
harm and we achieve this by utilising a number of techniques, some of them
covert in nature. To retain their effectiveness we are not able to openly discuss
these methods.
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